


Together, Apart.

by ConfusedPhaniel



Category: Amazingphil - Fandom, Daniel Howell - Fandom, Danisnotonfire - Fandom, Phan, Phandom, Phil Lester - Fandom, dan and phil
Genre: M/M, Magic, Slow Burn, Witch - Freeform, abuse mention, parent!phan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-03-09 01:44:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfusedPhaniel/pseuds/ConfusedPhaniel
Summary: Two Witches lay claim on the same newborn child, and then have to band together, despite both their objections to raise her.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first story on here, and I'm not the best editor so this may be trash and I may be slow keeping up with this story but feel free to give constructive criticism!

A woman lay crying in her room, leaned against her bed sideways, hands thrown down in her lap. She held nothing back as she let he emotions take over, whispering softly 

"All I want is a baby" 

Then someone takes her hands and she jumps opening her eyes to see a curly haired man in front of her, a long cloak and dark clothes covering him. She screams and pushes her way back but he speaks softly to her

"I'm not here to hurt you, I want to help," he tells her and she blinks at him, her knees to her chest as she bit her lip. 

"What do you mean?" She asks, pushing her long black hair out of her face. 

"I can grant you the ability to have children," the man says to her, walking over and sitting down beside her, trying to comfort the fearful upset woman 

"H-how? The doctor said there was nothing he could do?" She asks and the man smiles 

"I'm hardly a doctor, I'm much more powerful, I'm a witch you see," he says and the woman laughs at him

"You don’t believe me" 

He swirls his hand in the air and a small pile of dirt floats into his open palm. He places his fingers against the pile and slowly, there grew a beautiful flower, like nothing the woman has ever seen. 

He hands it over to her and she marvels at it. 

"You said, you can make it possible for me to have a baby," she says dropping her hands into her lap, still holding the flower. The witch nods

"It will come at a small price though, " he says and the woman gains a fearful look

"What kind of price?" She asks 

"Your firstborn child" 

•••

Somewhere else in the city a man sat at a bar, downing drink after drink. 

Then another man, eyes like liquid, shifting blues, green, and yellows, appears next to him and takes a seat, pulling down his hood and waving his hand and making a shimmering, cloudy yellow drink appear in his hand. The man looks at him, just drunk enough to not question it and sighs. 

"Love life getting you down?" the new man asks stirring his drink with the wind of a finger above the liquid. 

The man nodded tipping the glass up and drinking the last of his drink before signaling to the bartender for another. 

"I could help you know," says Eyes and the other man, who now had another drink in his hand laughed. 

"How?" He asks with a unbelieving laugh 

"I'm a witch," he says and the man eyes widen 

"A witch?" He asks 

"A witch" the witch responds 

"So how can you help me? Love potion or some other bullshit?" He snorts and the witch rolls his eyes 

"No, but I can guide you towards the one you’re designed to be with." 

"you can, can you?" the man says, clearly not believing

"I will need something in return though," he says 

"And what's that witchy?" The man asks 

"Your first born child" 

Both the man and the woman agree, the woman because she was desperate, the man because he wasn’t convicted the witch hadn’t been a hallucination brought on by drink. 

And when they woke up in the morning, something was different but neither could figure out what. 

 

•••

So the Man and the Woman fell in love, and soon, the Woman found herself pregnant with the couples first child. It wasn’t long after the birth that they realized how serious their problem was.

When the Man and the Woman finally took the new baby home they settled her carefully into her crib, the Woman pressing a soft kiss to the soft skin of the newborns head. 

They came that night. The curly Witch appeared in the shadows and approached the crib, hands wrapping around the bars as he looked down at the infant. 

She was beautiful, with dark hair and eyes, rosy cheeks. 

He reached down and lifted the newborn into his arms and that’s when the witch with the strange eyes walks up, arms crossed. The other man doesn’t jump, he doesn’t even flinch, he simply turns to look at the newcomer. 

 

“What are you doing?” He asks, looking curly up and down, popping out his hip

“Collecting a debt” he replies coolly, cradling the child, pushing a lock of hair out of her face, her body looking tiny against his large hands. 

“No, you’re not, that baby belongs to me,” Eyes says 

“Says who?” 

“Says this!” 

He opens his hand and a coiled length of parchment floats there. A contract. Curly shifts the baby so he holds her in one arm and holds out his own hand, a similar contract in his hand. 

“So who gets the kid, because I’m certainly not backing down” Curly finally asks tucking his arm back around the baby in question 

“Well I’m not either!” says the other. 

They both fall into silence for a moment staring each other down angrily, neither willing to relent. Then a voice breaks both from their glare

“P-Please, take her and leave quickly, before he wakes up” 

This comes from the doorway, and both Witches turn quickly to the door, where the Woman stood shakily, her eye bruised, a cut under it, using her foot gingerly, bruises scattering her copper skin.  
“I-I don’t want him to hurt her too,” She says gently, eyes on the baby in the arms of the man before her. 

Eyes steps forward and touches her face gently, alleviating her of the pain she was in. He had a look of pained, disparing fear on his face as he stepped back, hugging himself protectively. 

“Thank you” She whispers then glances into the hall

“Just promise me you’ll take care of her?” “W-we will”, He says glancing over at the other Witch 

She nods and leans to kiss the baby gently on the head, stroking her cheek with a finger. 

“Her name is Ruby” She whispers a tear leaking out of her eye, then turning she leaves the room. A beat of silence. 

“I’m Dan,” says Curly shifting the baby so he can hold out a hand 

“Phil…” responds Eyes skeptically reaching out to shake hands 

“Looks likes we’re going to be raising this baby together then” 

“Looks like it” responds Phil crossing his arms again

A sound drifts down the hallway and both turn to look as a light comes on and the deep tones of a mans voice reaches their ears. 

Then, Dan has turned into a Tiger, the baby now cradled gently in a bubble above him. He leaps out the window and the bubble floats after him. Phil rolls his eyes and transforms as well, a Raven, that soars out the window and begins following the Tiger and the baby down the streets of London.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't great and it isn't horrible either. So enjoy, and I’d LOVE to hear your feedback!

Down the streets of London, the tiger loped. Such a beast should have turned heads, raised shrieks from those whose eyes caught the great cats own piercing yellow gaze as it passed. 

But nobody turned, nobody shrieked, nobody seemed to care, for it wasn’t a tiger but a scruffy tomcat that was making its way down the road, of course not a tiger, as that was absurd. The cat was unassuming, a mousy brown greasy looking creature that desperately needed a proper bath and seemed to smell of a back alleyway. 

Only the Raven overhead saw the truth of the Tiger and the Baby, the latter nestled in a soft pink bubble floating slight aloft of its feline companion. The raven circled ahead often and lit on branches to wait and when he did people from the street did pay him attention. Sometimes a pair of eyes would watch him as they passed, caught on the iridescent oil slick of dark feathers that sat above them, hoping him not a bad omen. 

Eventually, they reached their destination, a quick trip down a dark alleyway and onto another street, which the three crossed and they had arrived. The Tiger changes, revealing a curly witch. He ruffles his hair with both hands, tipping his head back, then he reaches up into the bubble, fingers brushing the bottom of the baby’s pink floral pajamas and the bubble pops. She drops into Dan's hands softly and he lowers her back into his arms. The raven landed beside him, a flurry of black feathers revealing Phil, the dark-haired man now back to normal. 

The baby watches Dan curiously as he pulls out a keychain, finds an ornate bronze key and inserts it into the lock. It unlocks with a loud click that echoes through the deserted street, bouncing off stone and careening down alleyways. 

Dan steps inside quickly and ushers Phil in, shutting the door and locking it behind them both. He shucks off his shoes and uses one hand to undo his cloak, pulling it off with a flourish, hanging it on a hook near the door. 

They entered the living room, a cozy room with a soft looking curved couch, a fireplace, and houseplants sitting on shelves, with long tendrils snaking down, leaves like tiny heart shaped beads on a sting made of vine. They had just stepped through the doorway when Ruby began to fuss, little whimpers and gurgles emitting from between her tiny pink lips. 

Dan frowns and then reaches up pulling a small bottle down out of thin air as if it had been lifted from a shelf. He walks around the room, bouncing the infant gently in his arms making soft soothing sounds as he goes. 

“We need to talk about this” Phil says, and Dan's eyes meet his for a moment before refocusing on Ruby. When her eyes meet his, he almost melts. Huge, a stormy grey with long dark eyelashes fanned out across her rosy cheeks. Her nose was dotted with freckles, her tiny hand lifting to wrap around one of the fingers that held the bottle aloft for her. 

Phil didn’t pay any mind to Dans moment with the baby because frankly he wasn’t pleased. This wasn’t a situation that suited him or something he particularly wanted. This baby was supposed to be his, and his only. He slowly filled with frustration and annoyance as he watched Dan pace around the room the bottle in his hand steadily turning from white to clear as the baby suckled. 

“Hey, mate, mind not destroying my flat?” 

This breaks him out of his stupor and he realizes a small tornado has been winding around the floor at feet, lifting Dan's belongings from the floor and flinging them every which way, a small whirl of dust bent on destruction. The wind dissipated and Phil looked back to Dan who was cradling the baby against his shoulder now his large hand cradling the back of her tiny head, his other on her bum. Her small chest rose and fell with the rhythm of her sleeping breath. 

“I'm going to put her to bed, then we can talk,” he says, his voice a gentle whisper, his cheek against the baby’s head, her fuzz of dark hair soft on his cheek. 

Dan walks down the hallway and up a flight of stairs. He entered into a bedroom reminiscent of the moon and approached the bed, settling the sleeping child in the middle. He thinks for a moment before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. 

When he rejoins the other witch in his lounge, the man is sitting on the couch. He walks up and sits on a chair opposite him. 

“So, How are we going to handle this?” Phil asks, a frown on his face. 

“Well, what if we just went week for week?” Dan suggests and Phil nods

“That could work,” He says thinking “but she's a newborn, don’t you think she deserves some stability in her life?” 

“What are you suggesting? You move into my flat?” Dan asks with a scoff

“No, I think that would really upset my boyfriend,” Phil says

“and you raising a child with another man isn’t?” he says and Phil merely shrugs 

Not long after Phil leaves, reluctantly leaving Ruby in the other man's care, not wanting to wake her after she had settled into sleep. The lock engaged behind him, an audible clunk in the still air of the hallway. He gets to the street, watching as Dan slid the drapes across the window, then he was a bird black as pitch, soaring into the dark, star-dotted sky. 

The next day, Dan got up early and he knew he was underprepared the moment he woke up to a horrendous smell coming from his bedroom and discovered the baby had not only pooped in her diaper but all up her back as well. He had, with a lot of “PG” swearing, summoned the things he needed from a neighbor (as he had with the bottle) and cleaned the baby up. 

It was a blessing and a curse that witches couldn’t just summon something from nothing. On the one hand, it would be very dangerous if you could get your hands on whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. There had been a time when someone had found a workaround and brought a dangerous weapon into existence. Many were killed before the witch was apprehended and subsequently incarcerated, where he remained to this day. The weapon had been taken and destroyed along with all of the notes the witch had made on how he used this new power. For Dan though, it was an inconvenience. He had to go and buy all the things he needed since he didn’t feel right just taking them, unless absolutely necessary of course. 

So he found himself walking up and down the isles of a large store, which thankfully supplied carts with baby carriers in them, picking random things off shelves. A pack of diapers here, a few bottles there, some toys, a can of formula. He had the cart piled so high, that by the time he got to the clothing section, he was dragging one behind him, and pushing one ahead of him. The furniture, he decided would have to be ordered and delivered to him. 

He picked out many outfits for her, from little onesies that said cute phrases such as “Cuddle Monster” to outfits patterned with animals. He even picked up a little dinosaur onside in a purple-y shade of grey that had little spikes going up that back. He had stocked up on everything he needed it would seem when he came upon a display. Looking at it, he smiled softly, a dimple popping out on his cheek, and pulled one off the rack. It was a little stuffed animal, a rabbit. It was mostly a creme colour, with an orangey brown worked into the paws and ears. He used to have a similar one, when he was small, a lot smaller then he was now, and he used to carry that thing everywhere with him, no matter what. Then, one day when he took it to school in the first grade, someone it seemed didn’t approve and picked on him for it. He had brought him in the first place because he hadn't been feeling well and his rabbit always made him feel better, but after that, Rabbit stayed home. He quickly resolved that this baby, his daughter, would never ever have to deal with what he did in school, he would make sure of it. He dropped the rabbit into the cart and proceeded to the checkout.  


When he got home he quickly changed Ruby into something new and sent the clothes he had stolen back to the neighbor they had come from. He giggled gently at his choice, the dinosaur onesie and took a quick picture. The colour looked beautiful on her, accenting her olive skin, her grey eyes. He sent the picture to Phil, who had given him his number last night, and received a whole load of hearts and a ‘shes so sweet!’ in return.

Phil

It was a difficult subject to broach. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the other witch, it was his attitude and the fact he had to share the baby with him. He knew it was petty but he wanted the baby all to himself, and the fact Phil’s boyfriend would have a say in how the baby as raised made him even more upset. He didn’t know this man, he didn’t know if he was nice, or if he was even human. Dan sighed at the thoughts swirling around in his head and pulled his computer to order the rest of what he needed for the nursery.

He primed and painted the walls of her nursery a soft pink, hanging up framed pictures of constellations when it dried. He put together the crib (with much difficulty) along with the rest of the furniture and filled the room with all the things he bought her, from books to clothes to hanging strings of lights. The final touch was to place the bunny on the soft grey sheets of the crib. He knew she couldn’t have it yet, she was too young, and such a thing could pose a great danger to one so small as she. So, he settled into a sort of Rhythm, getting up at night to feed her, getting work done while she napped in the afternoon, and keeping her happy and entertained in between. She seemed to be a happy baby by nature, always smiling, barely ever crying.

Two weeks went by in the blink of an eye, and Phil had dropped her back off with him the day before. They had talked for a little while, as they had when Phil picked her up, sharing little bits of information they had learned about her, such as rubbing her back helped to get her to sleep, or that she preferred the yellow pacifiers to the green ones. Their system seemed to be working well, even once Dan returned to work at his store, running it from home sometimes, and sometimes taking her with him. She seemed to love to watch him make all his magical goods, the bath bombs that drew intricate patterns into the water, medicinal teas to help one sleep, or get over an ailment, children's books where the pictures moved to help tell the story and even little charms for couples, so they could know the other was safe when they were apart. His business was rather popular and he made a sizeable profit from it, some of which he began to put away for Ruby's education once he had her.

He was currently sitting on the couch, late at night, holding the child in his arms and watching her sleep. Her little eyelids fluttered as she dreamed, her lips parted to release small puffs of breath. Her cheeks were rosy and her hair was beginning to curl around her ears, even Dan could see for a newborn she had a substantial head of hair. She was bundled in a black onesie and a blanket, as it was cold in Dan's flat tonight. The fire was blazing in the fireplace and Dan had a soft blanket wrapped around both of them. He stroked a finger gently along the babies face, feeling the softness of her cheek under his finger and sighed happily, closing his eyes for a moment, a small smile of contentedness on his face. 

Thats when the loud banging began outside the door, frightening him out of his bubble of serenity. The baby stirred in his arms, fussing softly, but he soothed her as he stood and made his way to the door. He pulled it open peering through the crack, his eyes instantly catching on Phils watery ones. He was hugging himself tightly, biting his lip as he shivered. Dan pulled the door open all the way and Phil sighed in relief, breaking into a round of quiet sobs. Not knowing what else to do, he ushers Phil inside, pulling the older boy to his chest, Ruby sleeping soundly once again between them, and closes the door behind him wondering what on earth had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Heres the Dinosaur onesie](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/AfbdVw8X0y_dk9Q_V1mTESk2ff2qsGHV56vxxNXwqO7OzG_vmkBoQx4/) if you wanted to see it! 
> 
> ((and no, this is not a danosaur reference it's just a rly cute onesie okay?))


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I say before most chapters (All chapters lol) I love receiving feedback, so feel free to leave some. I'm sorry this is so late I've had exams and I'm a mess, but chapters should be more regular now!

They just stand there in the hallway with Ruby pressed between them. Phil’s hands were balled into fists against Dan's chest on either side of Ruby, his face tucked into Dan's shoulder. He sniffled and stepped the tiniest bit closer, so Dan tightened his one-armed grip around his shoulders and held him tighter, unsure of what was happening and unsure of what to do, so he just stood there holding the other man. 

Eventually, they moved to the couch and Dan handed Ruby to Phil while he went to make tea. The black-haired man took the baby and rested her on top of his thighs, hands supporting her head at his knees and kissed her nose gently, making her grin up at him toothlessly. He giggles at this as Dan returns, handing him a mug of tea and sits beside him. He watches Phil interact with the baby as he tries to think up something to say. When Phil notices him staring he gets flustered and blurts out

“Whats wrong?” Then mentally slaps himself 

“I mean” He amends “Are you okay, do you want to talk about what happened?” 

Phil smiles at him “My boyfriend and I got into a big fight and I just needed to get away, from it all” He says and Dan nods

“He didn't, like hurt you or anything though, right?” Dan asks suddenly worried and Phil shakes his head quickly 

“No, He wouldn't do that” Phil says “Its just the fights are getting more and more frequent and over the silliest things” 

“Well, you’re welcome to stay here the night if that’s what you need, I have a spare room just down the hall I could make up for you” Dan offers and Phil nods 

“That would be amazing,” He says with a soft smile and Dan nods. 

He stands up to go gather the sheets and a pair of Pyjamas for the older lad bringing them to the spare room. He makes the bed, flicking the sheets so they crack in the air to make them settle over the bed so he can tuck them in. He tucks in the comforter and lays the pair of pyjamas on the pillow then returns to the living room where Phil was still sitting on the couch, Ruby in his arms, now sleeping once again, scrolling through something on his phone. He puts it down when Dan approaches looking up at the younger man. Dan simply sits back down in his place on the couch and wraps himself back up in his blanket, offering the free end to Phil. Phil shifts himself so his legs are covered by the plush down of the fabric as Dan turns on the TV, turning on some stupid late night comedy show. Eventually, Phil gets up and passes Ruby gently to Dan, mutters a quiet goodnight, then heads off to bed. 

Dan sits there for a moment more, staring at the TV, thinking more than watching. He had only heard about Phil’s boyfriend a couple of times, but he couldn’t help but wonder what was really going on between them. Phil always seemed to want to avoid the subject, as if mentioning it would bring an end to the relationship as soon as the words passed his lips. It puzzled Dan, as he sat there with Ruby in his arms, why he cared so much in the first place. Phil wasn’t his problem, and neither was his relationship. Ruby was his problem, his responsibility and he was a little shocked to realize how dearly he loved already. He smiled down at her sleeping form and stood, careful not to wake her, carrying her off to bed. He wrapped her in her blanket, making sure it was not too tight or not loose enough for her to hurt herself with, then he leaves and heads off to bed, wondering what the next day was going to bring.  
The next day brought pancakes, as it turned out. 

Fluffy stacks of syrup laden, golden brown pancakes, topped with a dollop of whip cream and, surprisingly, a cherry. Ruby was already up, sitting in her rocker and Phil was setting the plates on the table when Dan walked in, having been drawn out by the delicious smell that had wafted into his bedroom. He stands in the kitchen doorway for a moment, stunned at what had transpired in his kitchen while he had been asleep, then Phil notices him standing there and smiles 

“My thank you for letting me stay here, sit while they’re still warm,” He says, pulling Dan's chair, then taking his own place. 

Needless to say, Dan ate every one of his pancakes before Phil had even finished his second. He grinned sheepishly at Phil’s raised eyebrows as the man took a sip of juice  
“What!” He defends through his smile “you make really good pancakes!”  
Phil laughs and takes another bite of his pancakes “Thank you again for letting me stay here, My boyfriend called me this morning to apologize actually, so I’ll be getting out of your hair shortly” 

“Oh, alright, that's good that you two made up,” says Dan, a little disappointed. 

“Yeah! He was just glad I was safe, he says he was worried when I didn’t come home last night, I feel so bad.” Phil says with a frown 

“Don’t feel bad, It’s okay, you're both safe, you just needed a little time away from it that's no big crime,” Dan says and Phil nods 

“Yeah, I guess” Phil concedes, then finishes off the rest of his pancakes in silence. 

When he was finished, Dan scooped up all the dishes and brought them over to the sink to wash, but Phil was insistent on helping him, even though as Dan told him multiple times, he cooked so Dan should have to clean up (a common rule in his house growing up). They ended up standing side by side at the sink, Dan washing, Phil drying. They make quick work of the dishes and since Phil has a little time, end up on the couch, watching some nature documentary about the migration habits of African elephants. 

It isn't long before Phil’s phone goes off and he has to leave though, so Dan walks him to the door and nods at his thank you as he leaves, rushing down the stairs and out into the sunlight. 

Phil takes to the sky when he steps outside, using his dark wings to lift him higher and higher until he began to feel light headed. The low clouds coated his feathers in little beads of water that simply rolled off him and dropped from sight. The sun was bright ahead of him, causing beautiful rainbows to form on both his oily feathers and through the moisture sodden clouds. He could see other birds flying around him, Sparrows, Jays, the occasional Hawk all sharing the sky with him as they went about the tasks of hunting, feeding their young or just travelling like he. He loved to fly high, where nothing of his human life could reach him, where all his problems fell away and he was free to do as he pleased without any human rules to guide him. It made him feel as light as air and like he could do just about anything he ever wants to do. But it was short-lived, He dropped through the clouds like a stone, wings more of a hindrance than a help. He let his wings out once he reached a certain height and soaring forwards until his claws caught on a window sill and he came to a halt, wrapping his wings around himself and ruffling his feathers. He hops into the apartment, quickly shifting back into himself and straightening his clothes and hair. 

He drops down onto the couch with a sigh and runs his hand through his hair, making it stand up off his forehead in a great black wave. After a while, he sits up and the hair falls back to his forehead, quickly pushed out of the way as he stands up and begins to go through the motions of making dinner. When his boyfriend comes home, they eat together and watch a movie, but Phil is too distracted to pay attention, so he just slots himself into the other man's tight embrace and closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep. He’s woken later so he can go to bed, and he does, crawling under the thick covers fully clothed and exhausted. When he feels his boyfriends lips at his neck, he scoots away from them, wrapping his blanket tighter around himself and sighs, drifting back off to sleep. 

Dans jolted awake in the middle of the night to a strangely muffled wail, followed by a deathly silence. Panic shoots through him, and he gets up, rushing to see if Ruby was okay. Not knowing what the sound was worried him, and he had the intention to bring her into sleep with him for the remainder of the night if all was well with her, but the situation revealed itself to him as soon as he opened the door. 

Dan screamed, an inhuman guttural cry as he threw out his hands, a wave of magic shooting from them, the blast of red energy striking the strangers back and seeming to enter their body, making them release their hand from the infant's mouth shouting in pain and falling to their knees, clutching their chest. A mere moment later they shift, the dark looming shadow of wolf now standing where a person had stood moments before, eyes glowing brightly in the darkness of the room. Suddenly the wolf leaps on Dan making him scramble to get out of the way. He shifts as well his momentum pulling him even further away. He spins around as the wolf charges him again, and swipes at it with a paw in a nimble manner only a cat could manage, claws raking across its muzzle sending it yelping backwards, blood dripping to the floor. The light in one of its bright eyes was now extinguished, showing it to have been in the path of the iron-like claws that had carved a path across his face moments before. 

Dan uses this moment and places himself quickly between the crib and the intruder and angrily huffs out a roar, growling deep in his throat, a dangerously clear threat. His long striped tail flicked behind him, hitting the bars of the crib with a resounding _thud, thud, thud._

The animal before him stood and made another leap towards him, but Dan reacts quicker, skittering out of the way so the wolf slams into the side of the crib, falling to the floor in a heap of dark fur, taut muscle, and fury. Dan takes his chance and pounces, landing on the wolf and pinning it to the floor below him, his striped fur standing on end in fury, teeth bared, claws digging into the animals thick wiry pelt. 

The wolf struggles to get free from the beast atop him, snarling and writhing wildly against the smooth wood of the floor. Its teeth sparkled, wet with saliva, in the dim light coming in through the window, its injured eye now open to reveal the wound Dan inflicted, from eyebrow to cheek, narrowly missing the eye itself. The beast snarled again, managing to shift Dan enough to get into its back. 

Dan realized his mistake then, but he was a moment too late. The animals back legs rose up under him and it brought its razor-sharp claws down along his soft belly in a gutting move, throwing Dan off. He skids away and his back hits the wall, making the room shakes and a picture drops from the wall and shatter.

He weakly staggers to his feet as the wolf moves towards the baby again. Bleeding heavily, and manages to dive his claws deep into its back leg with a well placed swipe, making it howl in pain. It spins and Dan leaps at it, agony coursing through him with every move. The wolf flees, and he chases it out of the room. It skids down the hall, claws scrabbling on the wood leaving a bloody trail as it goes. Dan savagely snaps at its heels, his huffing breaths themselves sounding threatening, keeping it moving at a fast clip. Finally, it runs out the open door, down the stairs, and out into the howling wind. 

Dan shifts back to himself, his breaths a painful wheeze as he clutches his stomach. He slams the door shut and locks it, throwing the deadbolt for good measure. He just makes it back to the nursery and locks the door behind him before the surge of adrenaline that had struck him upon seeing the intruder runs out and he drops to his knees. His mind screaming out for help, he slumps sideways onto the floor, unconscious. 

Across the city, Phil wakes with a start, his mind full of a deep terrifying panic, like nothing he’d never felt before.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is late, not great and a real big state, but that's normal, so enjoy and remember to give feedback if you can!

When the phone call goes to voicemail he curses quietly, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His panic deepening, he quickly gets to his feet and pulls on a warm coat. He’s out into the night within a couple of minutes, taking to the sky mere moments later. The night air is bitterly cold, biting into his skin even through the down layer of his feathers, which had been enhanced by the thick jacket he had put on. He shuddered and sped up, turning up outside Dan's apartment building a few minutes later. Cursing at the open front door and he runs up the stairs two at a time, reaching the landing quickly and heading towards Dans apartment 

When he gets there, he knocks insistently at the door to Dan's apartment. After a few minutes go by and the knocks remain unanswered, he knocks again, harder, calling out to Dan through the door. Another, deeper layer of panic settles over him as he frantically searches for a spare key, finding it tucked away in a potted plant a few feet away after a few minutes of searching and a tracking spell. Jamming the key into the lock, he turns the knob, slamming his weight into the door as he prepared to rush inside. He brings up solid in the deadbolt, cursing and rubbing his sore shoulder. Noticing the second lock further up on the door, he pushes the key into it, unlocking that as well before scrambling inside.

“Dan?” He calls out in a panic, as the door clicks shut behind him

He waited, hoping the other Witch would appear from the hallway to curse on him for breaking in and waking him up. When he didn’t, Phil shouts out his name again, louder and begins down the hall. That’s when Ruby begins to cry, a loud gut-wrenching wail, a scream that could wake the dead. Phil moves towards the sound quickly, as if on autopilot and curses upon finding the door to the nursery locked. A squelching sound at his feet draws his attention and he lifts his boot, noticing the wetness on the bottom of it, the pool of liquid around his feet. He fearfully flicks the light switch and his heart drops at what he was standing in.

A large pool of blood was coming from under the door, dark sickly red now splattered on the door and walls, due to his own feet having disturbed it. He shrieks Dan's name again and pounds on the door. 

Knowing this was no good, he steps back, takes a deep breath and rushes the door. He comes into contact with the solid wood and a deep splintering breaks the silence as the lock is ripped free from its housing. Phil stumbles into the room, tripping and falling over something on the floor. He sits up and with a flick of his hands turns on the light. 

The thing he tripped over had been Dan, sprawled on the floor, his face ashen, his whole body littered with cuts. He was covered in blood, the stuff beginning to seep into the soft rug on the floor, staining it crimson. Phil gulped as he surveyed the injury, scooting nearer, the knees of his pajama bottoms soaking up Dan's blood. 

Dans abdomen was horrifying to look at, several long gashes ran from the lower left side of his chest to just below his navel. They were deep and jagged, _like the work of an animal_ Phil thought, his hand moving to press against the side of Dan's neck, under his jaw. He sat there for a moment, fingers desperate to find a pulse, to know Dan was alive. 

He let out a sigh of relief when he felt the faint rhythm under his fingers. Dan was alive, now it was just a matter of keeping him that way. Dan's breathing was ragged and shallow, and he whimpered and clenched his eyes tight when Phil’s gentle fingers moved the loose fabric away from his abdomen, subconsciously pulling away from the pain. Phil persisted though, magic leaking from his fingers to quell the stream of blood, the golden glow lighting up Phil’s face in an angelic sort of way. 

Soon he begins to feel lightheaded, so he pulls his fingers back, cutting off the flow of magic. He didn’t want to pass out when Dan still needed him, nor be too weak to effectively help him. He pulls Dan into his lap, covering himself in blood as he does so, and stands up, carrying him into the bathroom so he could clean him up. He sits Dan in the bathtub and turns the taps on a small amount so the bath would fill slowly before returning to the nursery.

He pulls off his dirty shirt and pulls the baby into his arms, soothing her gently while the tub filled down the hall. It wasn’t long before she quieted and her big starry grey eyes fixed on Phil while he rocked her gently and hummed a lullaby. Her eyes drifted shut soon after that, the combination of the water running and Phil singing having worked in tandem to calm her down. 

He settles her gently back in her crib and returns to the bathroom where he turns the water off and carefully strips Dan of his clothes, dropping the wet garments into the sink. He takes his time to clean the wound, using a flannel to dab what he could only assume to be dirt from the long gashes. He rinses the blood from Dan's hair, and wipes the dark smears from his face, being as thorough as he could be. He works his way down Dan's body, cleaning each and every little cut along the way. His panic had not subsided but had merely been shoved down under a blanket of what he could only describe as peace. Here in the bathroom with a naked, bloody injured man, he was at peace as he worked, because deep down he knew he could handle what was before him. 

When he was sure he had done the job well, he drained the water, watching as the pink-tinged liquid swirled its way down the drain. He dried Dan off and rung the moisture from his hair before fetching bandages from the medicine cabinet. The wounds were in no way healed, but for now, the blood had stopped and the pain was lessened, so Phil dressed the wound and found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to put Dan in. He tucked the man into bed and with a sigh ran a hand back through his hair, mussing it up. 

He cleaned up the mess of blood throughout the apartment with a mop and a bucket he found in the closet in the porch, having had to empty the bucket and refill it several times so the water reminded clean enough to mop with. Restoring the items to their rightful places, he throws all the blood-soaked clothes into the washer and headed off to take a shower.

When he got out he borrowed some of Dan's clothes and dropped the rest of his into the washer, starting it. He took a minute, hands on the washer leaned over, eyes closed to take a breather, to take in all that had just transpired. He knew It would have been a lot easier if he could have called an ambulance but he also knew they could have been disastrous for both of them if the story of this injury had come to light. Phil didn’t know exactly what had happened but he knew it would be better to not draw attention to it, to not draw attention to themselves or to Ruby. They could potentially lose her if it was discovered she wasn’t legally theirs, or they could be exposed as witches and subsequently killed, which wasn’t all that uncommon an occurrence. He didn’t want to risk that and he knew Dan wouldn't either, but he had been so close to calling, so very close. 

Once he had gathered himself, he collected Ruby from her crib and returned to Dan's room. He considered pulling over a chair but he knew that was stupid when half the bed was free, so he settled down next to Dan, the baby in his arms, and even though he fought it, he fell asleep. 

Come morning, Phil is awoken by a call from his boyfriend wondering where he was. He let him know the basis of the situation, then promises to be home as soon as he can. His boyfriend wasn’t too happy about the whole thing but he doesn’t start a fight about it, just hangs up with a quick “I love you” which Phil returns. 

Phil is up after that, finding himself unable to fall back asleep. Hours pass and Dan doesn't move, still lying where Phil had placed him, face slack and sunken, dark bags under his eyes, looking ghostly pale. Come nightfall, Phil had risen to feed Ruby again, and was sitting on the couch downstairs when he heard a shuffling coming from above. He cursed and lay the now sleeping baby down on the couch to nap while he went to investigate. 

He finds Dan in the nursery, sitting on the floor, hands held onto the bars of the crib above him. The bandages on his stomach here red again, blood seeping through his shirt while he was sobbed. He shifts when he hears Phil approach, his Tiger legs wavering unsteadily under him as he weakly snarls, but then he notices who it is and shifts back, dropping to his knees, head in his hands. 

“I-I’m sorry Phil, I lost her, I'm sorry I just wasn’t strong enough…” Dan whispers and Phil instantly understands whats wrong

He sinks down before Dan and takes Dans hands in his own 

“She’s safe, you kept her safe Dan,” He says gently and Dan hiccups 

“S-she’s okay?” He asks

“She’s perfect” Phil tells him

Dan moves to hug Phil but winces, so Phil gently reaches over and pulls him into a gentle embrace, careful not to hurt him. He pulls away and his eyes lock back on Dan's stomach. He sighs

“You need to get back in bed, I’m surprised you made it this far with that injury,” Phil tells him and Dan nods as Phil helps lift him to his feet 

“I-I just wanna see Ruby…” Dan says shakily as Phil wraps an arm around Dans waist to steady him 

“Let me get you back in bed, then I’ll go get her, yeah?” Phil asks and Dan nods. 

Once Dan is back in bed, his wound cleaned and redressed and the baby back in his arms, Phil finally has a chance to figure out what had happened the night before. 

“Someone tried to kill her,” He says, tightening his grip protectively around Ruby, his face darkening menacingly (or, as menacing as it could get in his current condition)

“What!” Phil says and Dan nods, coughing weakly, his expression pained. 

“They broke in in the middle of the night, I woke up and went to check on her and they had their hand over her mouth. They attacked me, and I fought back to protect her obviously, but I was stupid and exposed myself without realizing it. It was a wolf, a big grey wolf, I got a few good hits in but I had no other choice than to run them off,” Dan says, and Phil could tell he was beating himself up over it. 

“You did good” Phil says, a hand coming down to squeeze Dan's shoulder. 

“I let him get away” Dan mutters, not looking at Phil, making him grabs his chin and turns his face towards him 

“You protected our baby, and you almost died to do it. If I hadn’t come when I did you _would_ have died, all for Ruby. You are an amazing parent, you did good” Phil says and Dan sighs

“I just wish I knew if they were coming back,” he says and Phil nods “I know, but we just have to be more careful now, I don’t know what this witch has against us, or against her, but we know she's not safe, and neither are we.” 

“God, when I walked in on that last night my heart sunk, I’ve never felt more dread in my life,” Dans says, his eyes downcast 

“Well, I woke up last night with his feeling of panic so strong, I broke into your house,” Phil tells him and he laughs 

“Wow, that’s really weird, maybe your magic somehow knew Ruby was in trouble, like a paternal thing” Dan suggests and Phil shrugs

What he didn’t tell Dan is that it had not been Ruby but a feeling that Dan was in trouble that made him act. He was unsure of why or how it happened but in that instant when he woke up, He knew without a doubt that Dan was in serious trouble and that if he didn’t act, Dan would die. He wasn’t sure where the feeling had come from, what it was, or who caused it, but he was grateful for it. Not only would he have lost Dan, someone who he now considered a friend than just a co-parent, he would have also more than likely lost Ruby as well, either from neglect (with nobody to take care of her, a baby of her age wouldn’t have lasted long on her own) or the wolf may have come back to claim her. 

He was drawn out of his thoughts when Dan winced as he was trying to reposition himself. 

“Do you want some aspirin?” Phil asks 

“Please,” He says with a grimace

Phil nods, standing to go retrieve a glass of water and the medication. When he returns, Dan has already fallen asleep. He places the water and the pill on the night table and lifts the baby Dan's arms, gently so as not to wake him, and leaves the room. 

He goes downstairs and settles Ruby in her rocker, then decides to cook a super late Dinner. He knew Dan would be starving when he woke up so he searches through the kitchen, gathering all the ingredients for soup, then he gets to work, chopping the vegetables, measuring out ingredients, and putting it all into a big pot to cook. 

By the time Dan woke up, he could smell the soup and rolled his eyes with a tiny smile. He was glad that Phil was here but he didn’t want to make Phil wait on him hand and foot, and so far, that's what he had been doing. None-the-less he got to his feet and slowly made his way downstairs after taking the aspirin Phil had left for him. 

When he gets to the kitchen, he walks over to the table and gingerly sits down, Phil’s watchful eyes on him the entire time to make sure he was okay. Once Dan was seated, Phil’s eyes returned to the bread he was slicing. 

He put it on a plate before placing it, a bowl of soup and the container of butter on the table in front of Dan. Then he returned with a cup of tea and sat with him, eating his own soup. Phil would be the first to admit it wasn’t very good, but Dan didn’t seem to care as he wolfed it down and asked for seconds.

When he was finished Dan looked down at the baby in the rocker. She was asleep, her little lips parted gently as she let out little puffs of breath. Her eyelids were alive with movement and Dan found himself wondering what it was she was dreaming about. Maybe she was dreaming of Him and Phil, maybe it was that butterfly she had seen last week and been so entranced with, or it may even be a dream of wolves. It was clear she was already over what had happened to her, maybe believing it to be a nightmare, maybe having already forgotten. Whatever the case Dan wished desperately that he could forget what had happened as easily, but he knew he couldn’t. Dan’s eyes drifted to Phil sitting across the table, eating his soup and he smiled gently. It would take him a while to heal fully from his injuries, and even longer to get over the mental aspect of it all, but he was feeling good and at least for now his family was safe, and yeah, he admitted to himself, that included Phil Lester.


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another chapter of my garbage child I hope you like it.

It was raining.

Sheets of water fell from the sky, hitting the windows in a roar of noise. The sky was a broiling mass of grey, occasionally brightening as a spectacular display of lightning forked across it. Few motorists dared to brave the storm, so the streets were deserted, spare the occasional animal scurrying from one cover to the next. 

Thunder boomed intermittently, though at first, it had come as a shock, it was now expected, almost welcomed. Flowers torn from their stems were the only colour visible on that grey afternoon, bourn on the wind they swirled down the streets and out of sight. 

The rain itself wouldn't last long, this kind never did, but for now, it was the basis for a peaceful afternoon in. 

Rain to Dan was peace. He could judge by the relaxed sleepy expression adorning the man's face that Phil felt the same way. They were sitting on the couch, watching some reality show on Netflix. Ruby was tucked securely in Dan's arms and a blanket shared between them, thick, fluffy and warm. 

Everything was calm. 

This was Phil's third day staying here with Dan. He continued to look after him while he healed, to ensure he didn't overexert himself. Even Dan, as insistent as he was that he could manage on his own, would admit Phil was exceptionally good at doing what he was doing. 

"Did you ever think to become a Doctor or a Nurse or something?" He had asked him while Phil changed his bandages one day 

"Yeah, I wanted to for a long time but Medical School is expensive and it's you know, kind of dangerous for us." Phil had responded. 

Dan, of course, knew this. It was common knowledge that some professions could expose them for what they were and put them in danger easier than others. In the thick of thing's, a witch could stop a bullet midair, or make an item they needed appear out of nowhere. It was easy to forget you had to stay hidden, especially in a situation that's life and death. So, Witches avoid high-stress jobs such as Medicine, Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighting. 

Ruby stirred then, whimpering and squirming in Dans arms. 

"She hungry?" Phil asked Dan, who shook his head and went to stand up 

"No, she has to be changed," He says and Phil nods, standing and taking her from him 

"You’re sure you don’t want me to do it?" Dan says, moving to lift the blanket off his lap and stand. Phil shakes his head though, making him stop.

"Nah, I got her. You rest up" he says 

Dan simply sunk back into the couch. He was somewhat relieved Phil had declined his offer. His wound was still healing and it was painful, especially when he tried to stand up for extended periods. His abdominal muscles were still weak, and he would have to take it easy for a while or risk hurting himself more. 

When Phil returned, he placed Ruby on a soft blanket on the floor. She lay on her tummy and squirmed, waving her arms and legs around wildly, a smile on her chubby little face. Phil laughed and turned to the couch, opening his mouth to speak, to tell Dan that she _really_ liked Tummy Time. Both of them already knew this of course and had repeated it to each other on several occasions, but they still exclaimed it regularly. Phil found Dan had fallen asleep though, so he shut his mouth again.

Phil smiled softly and sat back down on the couch next to him. He was thinking of how much he actually enjoyed being here with Dan. Dan was an extraordinarily sweet guy, and although a little cynical, he had a great sense of humor. Phil got along great with him and he could tell that they were finally past the distain they had felt from meeting. The fact that they were becoming close made Phil smile, because hey, he finally made a friend in the city. 

A few minutes later, he got up and retrieved Ruby from the floor where she had fallen asleep. He secured her in her rocker before settling back down on the couch next to Dan. It wasn't long before he was out, head lolling over onto Dans shoulder. 

When they woke up the rain had ended. The apartment was deadly silent, and everything was dark.

A knock sounded at the door and both witches jumped. Dan moved to scoop Ruby up, becoming a tiger so the small baby rested between his great paws, her guardian. Meanwhile, Phil headed to the door. Dan could hear the creak as it opened then the sound of commotion came from the hallway. He crouched lower defensively, but the room brightened as Phil reentered. He had a strange man in tow who gave him an odd look as he entered. 

Dan changed back into himself as Phil began to make introductions, picking Ruby back up. 

"Dan, this is my boyfriend Matt, Matt, this is my friend Dan,"

Dan nods, reaching out to shake Matts hand 

"I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to finally put a face to the name," Matt says. Dan nods, feeling uneasy as he retracts his hand, placing it back on his daughter. 

"You as well, and sorry about the tiger thing I get nervous," He says with a small smile

"Oh It's not problem, I would be on edge too," Matt says understandingly 

"Matt only dropped by to see how we're doing and to bring me some more clothes," Phil says with a laugh. "I can't keep wearing yours forever!" 

"Oh, okay," Dan says with a nod, smiling at the other man. 

"You're doing better then?" He asks with a gesture 

Dan nods "I'm still pretty weak but I'm getting there" 

"That's good then," He says and scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. 

He wasn't exactly a bad looking man, Dan noticed then. He had dark blonde hair tied up in a bun making his darker roots show. He had a short beard and dark green eyes, he looked kind and sweet. 

"Stay for dinner, since you came all this way" Dan offers and Matt smiles kindly

"Okay, that actually sounds lovely," He says and Phil smiles. He was glad that his boyfriend and his friend got along well. 

"I guess I'm cooking then," Phil says with a laugh and Dan shakes his head 

"I can help, give me stuff that I can do while sitting and I'm on it," He says and Phil nods

"Okay, come on, let get to it then," He says, taking the baby from Dan and putting her in her rocker. 

So Dan gets gingerly to his feet and Phil walks with him, ready to dive in if he falls. 

It's a good thing too, Dan only makes it a couple feet before his stomach gives a particularly painful twinge. He stumbles, losing his footing but Phil's there to catch him. His hands grip Dans waist while Dan grabs for Phils shoulders, holding onto them, hands like hooks. Dan rights himself against the mans chest, both of them laughing, faces inches apart. 

Dan makes it to the table and sits, That's when he notices the expression on Matt's face. He looks like a bear who's had its fish taken right from its mouth. Dan blushes slighlty, looking away as Phil places a cutting board full of vegetables down in front of him. 

He begins to cut up whats before him as Phil flits around the kitchen. He occasionally snatched something from in front of Dan, whisking it away to use in the dish he was making. 

The dish was chicken breast and stir fry, and to Dan, it was delicious. Dinner went without a hitch, and as it turned out Matt was a super nice guy. He was helpful, kind and polite, and on top of that he treated Phil like he was made of gold. 

But he still made Dan uneasy. 

They moved into the living room after dinner, a wine glass in each mans hand as they sat. Dan immediately placed his on the end table through, picking up Ruby and carrying her to her bedroom. 

He changed her, pulled on her pyjamas (Which were pink with little flowers on them) and retrieved the formula from the dresser. Walking around the room as long as he could manage and bounced her as gently until she finished her formula. At his point she was beginning to drift off, so he sat down in the rocker and sang to her. Her huge grey eyes locked on his, wide and curious, never shifting until they began to grow heavy. A big yawn, a long stretch, then she was out, snuggled down into Dan's arms, her little chest rising and falling. 

He sighed and stood, lowering the bar of her crib to place her inside. When he pulled it back up he stood there for a minute. Looking in over the side at her he smiled as he was reminded of how lucky he was to have her, and in turn, to have Phil. 

He returned to the living room to find Matt on the phone. He speedily hung up when Dan entered the room and smiled at him. 

"Where's Phil?" Dan asks, sitting back down on the couch and picking up his wine. 

"Oh, he went to use the bathroom he should be back in a second" Matt tells him and he nods, taking a sip of his own wine. 

"I'm sorry, about earlier I mean. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me, I love Phil to death but I'm not trying to take him from you or anything" Dan blurts. This makes Matt laughs 

"Good to know, I'm a jealous person, but I know you didn't try that, I'm glad he was there to catch you," Matt says and Dan nods 

"I feel you, I'm a jealous person myself, that's why I felt the need to clarify," Dan says and Matt nods, 

"It's, well, Phil is a real catch you know? I love him with all my heart and honestly? I don't know what on earth I did to deserve him," 

He thinks for a minute, then decided something. He looks around then, peering down the hall, 

"I'm thinking about proposing soon," He says in a low but proud voice 

"Oh?" Dan raises his eyebrows and nods, taking a sip of his wine 

"God, I'd mess it all up though, I'd be way too nervous," He says 

"You'd do fine, and from what I've heard, Phil is head over heals for you too," Dan tells him and Matt practically glows. 

"Really?" He asks and Dan laughs 

"You've been together, what? like four years? Of course he adores you" 

The sound of the toilet flushing silences them, both heads turning to the direction of the sound. When Phil reenters the room, he finds the two men discussing the show he and Dan had been watching earlier that day. He joins in, drinking his wine, giving his opinions and listening to theirs, as conversations tend to go. When the conversation turned to Ruby, it was clear that everyone in the room adored her. Matt produced several pictures of her he had taken and everyone had various stories to tell. The conversation went wild from there. They discussed everything from politics to which jam flavour they preferred. All in all, it was a great night. 

When Matt left, It was late. They had finished off a couple bottles of wine and were in pretty good spirits. Matt thanked both of them, and had taken a moment to speak with Phil privately before he headed home. 

Phil had headed to bed after seeing him to the door and giving him a goodbye kiss, leaving Dan alone in the living room. 

Instead of following Phil and heading off to bed, Dan walked to the window, peering out into the street. His eyes catch on a silouette making its way down the pavement. Its long hair was coming loose on the sides and it drifted back in the breeze as they walked.

Nearing the corner of the street, they stop and looks around. Then, the dark shape of a wolf replaces them, its yellow eyes shining in the moonlight. The breeze danced through its thick fur, ruffling it up and making the great beast shake from head to toe. It stood in the moonlight, so out of place in the city, but somehow seeming like it was supposed to be there. Then, it runs off around the corner and out of sight, leaving Dan to slide down the wall, his heart hammering in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I forgot to say, if there are any errors pls forgive me I'm sick, Ill go back and edit later.


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God this chapter came so easy. I had Idea after Idea and spent two periods of math on this

Fear. 

Its the thing we all feel, the feeling we share with every sentient being on the planet. Its the driving force in most situations, pushing us into action better than any reward ever could. Fear is a peculiar thing, due simply to the unpredictable way it presents itself. For some its anger, aggression and violence, others its the need to flee, hide or cower. For some fear can inspire excitement or freeze you in place simply unable to move. Fear is primal, it's instinctive and it can control just about anything. Fear could cause a mother to run into a burning building to rescue her child, cause an animal to attack, bring an end to one's life. 

It was fear that was ruling Dan, who sat with his back against the wall, hands shaking where he held them clamped together. His breath came rapidly as he tried to process everything that had happened. His mind was racing, thinking of everything and nothing all at once. A headache was starting to form behind his eyes and his stomach ached dully. He ran both his hands roughly back through his hair and cupped his head in his palms, elbows on knees, forehead hanging between them.  
The Wolf had been here, in the house with them, he had held Ruby. He had tried to kill her, he had nearly killed Dan. Dan couldn’t get the image of the wolf out of his head. Its hulking mass silhouette by the streetlight on the opposite side of the road. It had seen him looking, he was sure of it. A wave of protective energy sent cold shivers down his spine and he stood, shakily, using the wall to leverage himself up as pain coursed through his body. He hurried down the hall and scooped the baby out of her crib before continuing on to his room. 

Once there he lay Ruby on the bed and began to throw things haphazardly into a duffle bag. How was he going to convince Phil of what he saw, to make him believe the truth of what had happened and who had been responsible? Matt had seemed so nice, and Phil clearly loved him very much. How was Dan supposed to convince Phil that the man he was in love with tried to kill their daughter, tried to kill him? Of course, Dan knew that there were probably a thousand Witches that could turn into wolves, but he didn’t want to give someone the benefit of the doubt and have an innocent child end up dead as the result. He hoped Phil’s love for Ruby was enough to make him take caution as well, but love was a weird thing, it could make you naive and stupid, unable to see the truth even if waved in your face.  
Non-the-less he stalked into Phil’s room and shook him awake. Phil looked up at him, squinting groggily with his top lip pulled up over his teeth, mouth open. 

“Wha-what’s going on,” He asks as Dan throws his bag on him. 

“Get up, We’re leaving, or at least I am, with or without you,” he says, throwing the light switch. Phil covers his eyes with his arm, groaning.  
“Why?” He asks sitting up and peering at Dan blindly, his glasses still sitting on the nightstand.

“The Wolf, he was here” Dan responds simply and walks out of the room. 

He finishes packing his bag and hoists it onto his shoulder along with Ruby’s bag. The combined weight makes him grimace and puts a hand on his stomach, but he bundles Ruby in a blanket and sets off down the stairs anyway.

“Dan, you're going to really hurt yourself!” Phil says as Dan walks into the lounge, laden down with his things. 

“I don’t care right now, I have to get her somewhere safe, somewhere he can’t find her,” He answers. Phil turns on the spot, his hair a mess, his pajamas wrinkled, completely overwhelmed by whats happening. 

“What’s going on!” He says loudly and Dan stops and turns to him  
“I’m going somewhere safe and I’m taking Ruby, are you coming or not” 

“Where-“ “You’re just gonna have to trust me, now, are. you. coming. or. not.” Dan says, his face stone serious and Phil sighs  
“I-yeah okay, I-I trust you,” Phil agrees, then goes back to his room to collect his things. 

When they leave the apartment, Dan locks the door behind him before shifting, all his luggage melting into his pelt. He shakes before Phil settles Ruby around his neck in a sling, fastening it around him so she was pressed securely against his chest, safe as long as he was. She remained asleep through all this, totally unaware of what has been transpiring around her. Phil shifts as well, and takes to the sky, following as Dan begins down the street. He wasn’t exactly sure what had triggered Dan’s need to leave but he knew it must be serious, as Dan was visibly anxious, even as a tiger. So, he trusted Dan as they wove through the streets of London until they reached an old parking garage. 

He approached an old beat up car that appears to be an early 2000s Chevy Impala. Its red paint was chipped off around the doors, the seats inside were showing stuffing and it was coated with a substantial layer of dust. Dan shifted and put his bags in the back seat before climbing behind the wheel. Phil put his bags into the back as well before getting into the passenger side. He takes Ruby from Dan, who he's sure is gonna attempt to hot-wire the car any minute now. But he doesn’t, he pops open the glove compartment, takes out a key and stuffs it into the ignition. It takes a few minutes of sputtering, but he gets the car running and begins to drive.  
Soon they’re speeding down the highway and Phil is questioning all of his life choices. “Did we just steal a car?” He finally asks quietly. Dan doesn’t look at him, adjusting the heaters that weren’t really doing much to begin with. 

“No,” Dan finally says as his hand settles back on the wheel. When Phil doesn’t say anything else he continues “It used to be my granddads, I got it when he died,” 

“Why the hell did you leave the key in it then?” Phil asks perplexed  
“I lose it too often. I barely use the car anyway, so I just hide the key in the glove compartment,” 

“and nobody's stolen it yet?” Phil says. Dan shakes his head “It’s magic, nobody sees a working car, just a rusty hunk of metal not even worth anything for parts,” Dan explains 

“Oh, clever,” Phil says with a tiny smile. The smiles fade from his face when he looks out into the night 

“Dan, what happened?” He asks gently, barely above a whisper

“The Wolf, I saw him on the street,” Dan says speeding up a little bit 

Phil doesn’t say anything else, but he reaches over and gently lifts up Dan’s shirt. Dan looks down then to Phil 

“What’re you doing?” He asks and Phil shushes him  
“Checking your bandages,” He says then peels the bandage off Dan’s skin 

He sighed at what was underneath. The wound had reopened and was bleeding again. It wasn’t a lot but he could tell from the swelling and the redness that Dan was going to be in a world of hurt later. It irritated him how headstrong Dan could be sometimes, even when it came to his own health. Dan seemed to care more about the wellbeing of others than his own, which was sweet and all, but it was really goddamn annoying. Phil sighed and stuck the bandage back down. 

“Your adrenaline is going to run out soon and it’s not going to be pleasant” Phil says when he leans back. 

“As long as Ruby is safe, I’ll deal with it” He responds and pushes the car faster. 

Phil just sits back and crosses his arms over his chest, wondering where on earth they were going. 

It was a couple of hours later when they finally turned down a residential street in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Dan slowed and turned into the driveway of a little bungalow with sunflowers growing outside. He kills the engine and takes the baby back out of Phil’s arms as he gets out, bundling her against the wind. By the time the car door closes with a creaky thump, Dan’s already halfway up the path. Phil rounds the car and hurries after him, just stopping behind him as Dan finishes knocking on the wooden door. 

He didn’t know what to expect, but when the door opened, a little old lady with grey hair and an armful of orange tabby wasn’t it. She looked groggy but frowned when she saw Dan. 

“Daniel? Is that you? Whats wrong?” She asked  


“Grandma, we need a place to stay, I can explain it all, ” He says to her quickly and she nods, ushering them inside and closing the door with a snap. 

When she finally faces Dan, her eyes are curiously eyeing the bundle in his arms. He ducks down a little bit and shifts the blanket off of Ruby’s face so she can see. She gasps and her fingers go out to brush her great-granddaughters cheek. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a baby!” She scolds, smacking Dan’s arms gently. “and who's this,” She asks turning on Phil, who jumps back, a little afraid of the woman. 

“That’s Phil, we sort of raise her together,” Dan says with a sigh. His grandma turns back to him and points to the couch

“You have a lot of explaining to do young man,” She says and he nods, sitting down. 

He’s barely settled before she takes Ruby from his arms and sits in her own armchair. Phil stands awkwardly off to the side until Dan jerks his head towards the sofa and Phil joins him, sitting closely beside him. 

“Start with her,” His grandma says then nods at Phil “and him.”  


So, Dan does. He explains everything to her, from adopting Ruby, to The Wolf, he explained it all. 

“So,” She asks finally “Are you two together then?” 

Dan sputters, and they both go beet red. 

“N-no ma’am, I have a partner already,” Phil tells her. Dan’s face darkens, going unnoticed by Phil, but the look is not lost by his grandma. She knows better then to question it though, and just offers them a cup of tea.

Dan stops her before she could stand though, getting to his own feet and heading into the kitchen.

Phil excused himself and filled after him, standing in the kitchen doorway out of earshot of Dan’s grandma.  
“Sit,” he orders, pointing at the dining table. 

When Dan only kept working, Phil walked to him and took the mugs out of his hands. He guided Dan by his shoulders to the table and spun him, pushing him down into an empty chair. 

“I said sit,” He says, squeezing Dans shoulders and looking him in the eyes.  
Then he turns and resumes making the tea where Dan had left off. Everything was silent for a while before Phil spoke up.  
“Why didn’t you tell your grandma what happened to you?” He asks, his back still to Dan 

“I dunno, I didn’t wanna scare her” Dan shrugs, turning in his seat to rest his elbows on the table.  
“She’s your grandma Dan, you can’t keep stuff like this from her, especially if she's taking us in,” Phil says, turning and crossing his arms as he leans back against the counter 

“I know, its just she worries enough as it is, I don’t wanna scare her”  
Phil just sighs and turns back to the counter, picking the kettle up off the stove where it was beginning to whistle. He pours the tea and Dan stands, accepting his and following Phil back to the living room. Phil hands a mug to Dan’s grandmother, who takes a sip before placing it down on the end table. 

“Thank you dear,” She says to Phil. He nods with a smile, eyes on Dan as he sits back on the couch. 

They chat politely until the tea was all gone and the sun was beginning to rise. 

“God, Im exhausted,” Dan says with a yawn. Phil nods, mimicking Dan’s yawn.

“Well, you know where the guest room is,” Dan’s grandma says to him. He nods 

“Thank's Grandma, you’re the best” 

She smiles broadly as they both stand. Phil heads towards the door,  
“I’m going to grab our stuff,” He calls back over his shoulder then slips out into the dawn. 

Once he’s back inside, he finds Dan sitting on the couch.  
“There’s only one bed in the spare room, so you take that and I’ll take the couch,” Dan says. Phil shakes his head, stepping up and crossing his arms 

“No, I will, you’re healing,” He tells him matter-of-factly. Dan crosses his arms as well and sighs 

“Why don’t we just share it, it’s a double bed” 

Phil thinks for a moment then nods, agreeing 

“Yeah, okay why not”

Dan leads him to the spare room where Phil dumps their stuff by the door. 

“I’ll go get Ruby,” he says. 

“Nah, grandma said she has her,” Dan tells him. 

Phil nods and flops down onto the bed. Dan joins him, both laying on their backs looking upwards at the patterned ceiling. 

 

Seeing Matt become the Wolf was playing over and over in Dan’s mind. The cold fear it had struck in his heart was coursing through him once again. It was eating Dan up inside, weighing on him, getting heavier by the second until he couldn’t carry it on his own any longer. 

“Phil, Matt’s the Wolf… I’m almost sure of it”


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is poorly edited it, Im in a rush and I just wanted to get it posted!!
> 
> Leave some feedback if you liked it, it actually really helps in terms of keeping me motivated to continue this!

Phil raises himself up onto his elbow to look at Dan, his eyes wide. 

“What makes you say that?” Phil asks

“When he left, he turned out on the street, it was a wolf Phil.” 

“Matt doesn’t turn into a wolf,” Phil says 

“Phil, I saw it with my own two eyes,” 

“But that doesn’t mean anything,” Phil says 

“He hung up the phone way too quickly when I walked into the lounge after putting Ruby down,” Dan says. 

He’s still looking at the ceiling but he could feel Phil’s eyes boring into him, but he ignored it. 

“But that still doesn’t prove anything!” Phil says desperately. 

Dan’s eyes shift to lock with Phil’s, an apologetic expression on his face

“Phil, that night, when you left home to come to my apartment, was he there?” Dan asks, not breaking eye contact 

“He could have been making toast!” Phil says and Dan finally breaks eye contact. 

Phil drops back onto his back and sighs. A long silence follows in which neither of them moves. Neither of them seems to even breathe as they stare at the ceiling above them, its outdated popcorn texture casting tiny shadows. 

The silence stretches and grows. It gains weight as the implications of what Dan has said settles over them. Phil turns his head to look at Dan, his side profile lit up by the overhead light, freckles abundant. Phil absently hopes Ruby would get those freckles as well, his eyes scanning the constellation on Dan’s cheek.  
“I didn’t even know he could become a wolf, you’re sure it was him?” Phil says finally breaking the silence. “Positive,” Dan answers  
“What are we going to do?” Phil says. 

Dan shrugs his shoulders uncertainly, letting out a sigh that sounded hopeless. 

“Stay here, for now, I guess,” He says 

Phil’s phone rings then, and both boys jump as if someone had fired off a shot in the room. Phil scrambles to pick up his phone and looks at the caller ID, sitting up as he does so. 

“It’s him, what do I do?” He asks.

Dan sits up, wide eyes matching Phil’s panic. He takes a deep breath, breathing it out slowly before looking back into Phil’s blue eyes. Not quite blue, he thinks, a mixture, blue, green, and yellow. Like a nuclear reactor. Which was how Phil made him feel, like a nuclear reactor ready to explode. He shakes his head, the thoughts gone by in a second as he points at the phone 

“Answer it, don’t let on that anything’s wrong,” Dan says 

Phil nods and hits accept, taking a deep breath before lifting the phone to his ear. He was unsure of whether or not he believed Dan’s accusations. As much as it pained him to admit though, his concerns were legitimate. Phil couldn't couldn’t take them lightly, especially since they involved Ruby. 

“Hello?” He says 

“Thank god, I’ve been worried sick trying to call you!”

Matt’s voice comes over the receiver, making Dan leaning in so he can hear better  
Dan opens his phone. He taps on Phil’s shoulder, showing him his recents, empty of any proof of Matt’s claim, as he knew Phil’s would also be. 

“Why, what’s going on?” Phil asks 

“Someone broke into Dan’s apartment, the whole place is in shambles, where are you guys?” He says, his tone indicating his desperation and anxiety 

“We just went out to open my shop early, I have a customer coming in from out of town” Dan whispers quickly. 

It wasn't exactly a lie, although the customer wouldn’t be in for another two weeks, the excuse came easily to him. Phil tells Matt this and he sighs. 

“Why is he at my apartment anyway?” Dan whispers. 

Phil shrugs wondering the same thing himself. 

“Why are you even there?” Phil repeats. Matt puffs out a breath 

“I forgot my wallet and had to come back to get it,” He says “The door was just.... swinging when I got there,” 

Phil closes his eyes and then opens them, looking to Dan 

“Tell him we have somewhere to stay in the meantime until it’s safe,” Dan says 

“Dan says he knows somewhere we can stay until this is all sorted out,”

“Phil, take the baby and come home so I know you’re both safe. Wherever Dan is going, they can take care of him” Matt says in a low tone

“I can’t Matt, I made a promise,” Phil says. 

His tone was stern because he was not about to have this argument, not here, not now.

“Why don’t you all come here? Then you have me to help protect you,” Matt says desperately and Phil sighs 

“Matt, the wolf probably knows where we live, we can’t, it's not safe”  
Phil interjects. There’s a long silence, then Matt lets out a slow breath. 

“Okay, alright as long as you’re safe and you keep in contact” Matt relents 

“Of course,” Phil says, then hesitates “I love you” 

“I love you too, stay safe,” 

Phil hangs up then and Dan scoffs, bring his legs around and sitting criss-cross on the bed. 

“Forgot his wallet,” Dan says his tone unbelieving 

“Didn’t he put it in his pocket as he left?” Phil asks. Dan nods, remembering the man doing exactly that.

“God, I need sleep,” Phil says 

He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. The backs of his hands rested on his knees which were up to his chest.

“This day has been a lot,” 

“It has,” Dan responds.

He putting his elbows on his knees and drops his chin into his hands, his voice coming out a tad slurred. 

So, Phil changes the dirty bandage on Dan’s stomach, changes into pajamas and they both crawl into the bed. It was soft, warm and although the sheets were a little scratchy it bothered neither of them very much. In the beginning, Dan has his back to Phil, but then he rolls so they’re lying face to face, intending to talk with him.

Before he gets a word out, hot tears flow down his cheeks and his breath hitches. All the stress and fear of the day had manifested itself into great wracking sobs. He tries to roll away, to hide his weakness, but Phil just pulls him close. He holds Dan to his chest, his head rested on the top of Dan’s, Dan’s face driven into his neck. A hand was rubbing soothing circles on Dan's back, the other rested on the back of Dan's head. 

Within minutes Dan’s hitching breaths had calmed and his sniffles became less frequent. 

Phil thought about moving away from him, back to his own side of the bed when Dan fell asleep. Then he considered the warmth Dan offered, how good it felt to in the chill air of the room. He could smell Dan, not an unpleasant smell, but one that reminded him of home. He sighed and settled into the mattress. He knew it would make Matt incredibly jealous, but for once since he met the man he didn’t care. Let Matt get jealous for all he cared because at the moment his friend was all that mattered. 

One thing he knew for sure though was that he was thankful for Dan’s instincts. If they hadn’t have left them when they did they could have been injured or even dead. Matt had come back to the house, looking for them and had trashed the place. Even if Dan was wrong, and it wasn’t Matt, someone had been there, someone had been looking for someone or something. 

Phil sends a quick text to Matt to ask him to pop over to Dan’s apartment again and lock it up the best he could. When Matt responds, saying he’s already done that, Phil puts his phone down and sinks down into the bed. He tightens his grip on Dan, pushing his nose into his friends curly hair. He knew it was weird, but oh well, their whole situation was weird, so what’s one more thing added to the heap.

When Phil woke up later, it was to Dan pulling out of his grip. Phil let him go and he sat up, his back to Phil, perched on the edge of the bed. Awkwardness hung heavy in the air, and Phil tried to think of something, anything to break it. 

“Um, thanks,” Dan says “F-for helping me last night” 

“It’s no problem,” Phil responds “That’s what friends are for, isn't it?”

Dan turns and smiles at him, “Yeah, well thanks either way,” 

Phil sits up as Dan pulls on an ugly knitted sweater, making Phil eye him and bark out a small guffaw. 

“What the heck is that!” He asks and Dan laughs 

“It’s a grandma sweater, don’t judge me” 

Phil just rolls his eyes as Dan stands and stretches carefully. He was getting a lot stronger, but he still wasn’t able to put extra stress, such as stretching, on his abdominal muscles. It was a real drag. 

“What time is it?” Phil asked as he checked his phone “2:30 in the afternoon” He says answering his own question. 

“Come on, Grandmas got food on, I can smell it,” Dan says. 

They both get up and begin to prepare for the rest of the day 

Later that day Dan and Phil were sitting on the couch, Ruby rested in her bouncer beside them. Dan’s grandmother sat in her armchair, knitting what appeared to be a little sweater for Ruby. Everything is silent apart from the click of her knitting needles and the quiet sounds of the gameshow coming from the television. 

At some point, Dan’s head had dropped onto Phil's shoulder. Phil had merely draped an arm over him and continued to watch the tv, a detail Dan was acutely aware of. He could feel the tingle of Phil’s skin against his own. Dan had done his best to ignore it at the beginning but now it was becoming a problem as his mind wandered. He imagined the taut muscles in Phil's arm wrapped around his neck in other situations doing other, more compromising things. 

Dan pushed the thought out of his mind. He abruptly stood, knocking his grandma's cat (whom he remembered was called Tom) out of his lap. The cat looked at him sullenly and leaped up into Phil’s lap, who although allergic, cooed over him, a hand falling to rest on his back. 

“I’m going for a walk, I’ll be back soon” Dan announces

He doesn't wait for any response before he off, slipping out into the night. 

He quickly became the tiger and began to trot down the street. The path he was following familiar to his nimble paws, a path which they had tread many times. 

He turned off the road and onto a dirt path, which had begun to grow in with thick weeds. His paws sank into the stiff mud as he took long quick strides through the trees. He picked his way up the small incline before him, careful not to lose his footing. Soon he came to rest on his belly in the damp grass on a ledge overlooking the forest. 

This had been his place to come and think when he used to live with his grandma during the summers. He must have spent hundreds of hours on this ledge just thinking. The sounds of nature around him soothed him into a calm, relaxed haze. The grass with its droplets of cool water, was a comforting presence below him, the perfect temperature. 

This time though, he rolled onto his back to look up at the stars, closing his amber eyes. He stretched, reaching his paws up towards those bright stars as if he could pull them down. This time, the problem was different. 

This can’t be happening, not to him, not right now. He couldn’t be because he was taken, and even though it was by an asshole, he was still taken. He had told himself never again, not after last time, but his resolve was quickly breaking down. He opened his eyes again and looked up at the sky, with a deep pained sigh. He couldn’t deny it, he was beginning to develop feelings for the man he had begun to consider his best friend, his family. He didn’t want it to be true, he desperately wanted to forget this, to forget the feeling of Phil holding him. Of Phil’s warm arm around his shoulders. Of Phil’s steady heartbeat in his ears. 

But he couldn’t.

and a small part of him didn’t want to. 

That same small part of him was deep in a future it longed for, that it had been longing for quite a while before Dan had clued in. A future of him and Phil and Ruby. Of him and Phil curled up on the couch together, like they had been tonight, for years to come. Of him and Phil taking leisurely baths together, candlelight, wine, and bubbles. Of him and Phil on Christmas morning watching their daughter tear through the mounds of wrapped gifts while they held hands. Of him and Phil being more intimate, being together, of slick sweaty skin…

He closed his eyes and tried to push those thoughts out of his mind before he had a problem on his hands. He was pulled out of them abruptly however as his ears pricked, swiveling in the direction of the trail. 

He opened his eyes as his Grandma sat down beside him and he rolled over, he hand coming to rest on his side. Her fingers dug into his thick stripy pelt as she looked out over the forest, not saying a word. He watches her a moment before laying his head down on his paws and looking over the tops of the trees as well.  
“Are you okay?” She asks eventually

He huffs and shifts, his elbows coming to rest on his knees, legs crossed beneath him. He puts his chin in his hands and closes his eyes again.  
“You know you can tell me anything right?” She asks.  
She places a hand on his back, rubbing it back and forth comfortingly. 

“It’s nothing, I just needed some air, ” He tells her. 

She doesn’t question it but poses another question of her own instead.  
“What really happened that night, with the wolf?” 

Dan sighs and looks into her eyes. He knew that she knew he hadn’t told her the truth, not the whole of it. He also knew she was going to ask about it sooner or later. Her cheeks here rosy in the chill of the March air, her long hair blowing into her face due to the breeze. Her honey brown eyes watched him, waiting patiently for an answer. 

“I didn’t just chase him off,” Dan says finally, “He attacked me, so I ended up getting into a big fight with him,” 

“Were you hurt?” His grandmother asks.

Dan stares out into the night again, not wanting to say the truth but knowing he had to. She takes his silence for an answer 

“How badly?” She says and Dan looks back to her this time, letting her take his hand in both of hers 

“If Phil didn’t come when he did, I think...I think I would have died grandma,” He says softly. 

Then he related the entire story, filling in the bits he didn’t know with what Phil had recounted back to him. 

When he had finished his grandmother goes silent for a few minutes, eyes cast into the downwards.  
Dan watches a single tear fall. He gently squeezes her hand with his and she looks up at him, a small smile on her face  
“He’s a good one isn’t he?” she asks finally 

Dan smiles at her because she was right. Phil had saved his life that night, having ended up there on a feeling so strong he had to act. He hadn’t ignored it, he had followed his gut and ended up arriving just in time. Dan's knight in shining armor apparently. 

Dan just looks down as he blushes then, in a soft voice replies to her

“Yeah, he really is..”

On the journey home, the shadow of two tigers fall across the pavement, one larger, one smaller. As Dan watched his grandma’s feline form walk beside him, he felt a surge of happiness and love for the woman. After all, she had practically raised him, taught him how to shift and use his powers. After teaching him all the tricks of the trade, she handed him her business when she had moved out here. 

She had always represented safety to Dan, even the time he had wandered away and gotten lost in the woods. The moment he had heard his grandma's voice come over his walkie-talkie he had stopped crying and calmed down. This was enough for her to pinpoint exactly where he was and come to get him. Dan knew without a doubt he would die to save her if he had to and knew the same was true of her for him. 

His thoughts drifted off as he entered the house. Phil stands from the couch with a look of relief as Dan stepped in, ruffling his hair with a hand casually. 

“I’m glad to see you back, I was getting worried,” He says and Dan nods with a smile 

“I’m exhausted, I think I’m going to head to bed,” Dan says and Phil nods, passing him Ruby when he reached for her. 

He brought her to his chest and when he looked down at her he nearly cried. Dammit, he was emotional lately. 

She had grown so much since they had adopted her. Her little chubby cheeks filled out, her laugh louder, her hair longer. She was able to hold her head up on her own and had almost managed to roll over a few days prior. He felt a strong wave of parental protection surge through him and knew he'd never let anything hurt her. He leaned down to press a kiss to the sleeping babies forehead. 

With a final 'goodnight' to his grandma and a nod towards Phil, he headed off to bed

Phil joined him ten minutes later, crawling under the warm covers facing Dan’s back. Dan didn’t roll over, just merely inched his body back towards Phil’s warmth. 

Phil didn’t move to embrace him the way he had the night before, which was a bit disappointing. Dan scoffed slightly at his disappointment and rolled his eyes at himself. 

However, just as Dan was drifting off, he felt a warm hand come to rest in the curve of his waist, where his shirt had ridden up. The hand squeezes the bare skin there sending a tingle through Dan’s skin. He smiles as he loses his hold on consciousness and drops off into sleep.


	8. Chapter Seven

_Slapslapslap_

Little droplets of water flew through the air as Ruby’s tiny hands fell again and again, hitting the surface of the water. She squealed loudly as Dan wiped her face with a soft washcloth. She smiled up at him in renewed giggles as he tapped her nose with his finger, smiling back at her. 

Dans face was soft, a grin graced his lips, his eyes were warm. His hair was beginning to deflate, becoming wet, droplets of water clinging to the curls here and there. He wore a small golden hoop in one ear, and his freckles, though dull were beginning to reappear on his cheeks. 

Dan was happy. 

For a few moments here and there life was unimaginably good. Ruby was happily playing in the bath, her curls plastered to her head, while Dan held her head up and ran handfuls of warm soapy water over her. Everything seemed to have a rosy filter over it, pushing the bad out of Dan’s mind replacing it with the blinding joy he felt. 

His little girl was happy and that’s all that mattered to Dan in these moments. 

Then of course the reality hit. After Ruby had been lifted from the tub and she had been dried off. It hit when the pain in his stomach flared up again, catching him off guard and making him have to sit down. It hit when he was alone. 

He was alone, and again, he was afraid. He wasn’t afraid of Matt, it was more of a fear of the unknown. Would Matt find them? Would he attack again? Would be even be alone next time? The questions swirled around in his head multiplying and becoming louder, louder, louder until they were deafening. 

He was afraid of losing Ruby. 

He was afraid of losing Phil. 

He was afraid. 

He wasn’t aware that he was crying until Phil walked into the room, already talking, only to fall silent. A frown fell onto his face and he walked across to sit with Dan on the edge of the bed. “Hey, you okay?” He asks. Dan frowns at him and then, he feels the wetness on his own face, reaching his fingers up to touch it in confusion. He sighs and drops his head into his hands. 

“I’m just afraid of losing her,” Dan says then after a moment adds “of losing you” 

Phil sighs and drapes an arm around Dans shoulders, pulling him to his side in a firm hug. 

“We can protect her, we can protect each other,” Phil says. 

He takes Dans chin into his fingers when he says this, making the younger boy look him in the eyes. 

His eyes, thought Dan, they were spectacular. They eased Dans panic slightly, making him take a deep breath in, out. He absently remembers reading somewhere that blue was a calming colour. Phil’s eyes seem to prove that theory, he thinks lamely. 

“We just need a plan okay?” Phil asks. 

This snaps him out of his stupor and he nods. “Yeah, okay, it’s just that she really doesn't deserve this does she?” He says. 

Phil nods, pulling him in for a hug, both arms snaking around Dan to pull him close. He buries his face in Phil’s shoulder and takes a deep breath. 

“We’re gonna be fine Dan, I promise you, we’re gonna be fine,” 

Phil’s voice is soft and soothing, the edge it normally held had vanished, replaced with comfort and a promise that all would be well. Dan just nodded, closing his eyes and letting himself melt into the warm embrace Phil still held him in. 

_We’re gonna be fine Dan, I promise you, we’re gonna be fine…_

Dan must have fallen asleep, as the next thing he remembers is Phil’s hands pulling blankets up his chest. He keeps his eyes closed, too groggy to put up a fight even if he wanted to. 

Then rough, slightly chapped lips press to Dan’s temple, lingering for a moment, warm and gentle before they’re gone again. Dan blushes profusely, glad the darkness in the room will hide to his heated face from Phil’s view. 

“Goodnight Dan,” 

Phil’s tone was gentle. His breath tickled Dan’s face as he spoke those two words that set Dan’s heart into a confusing rapid rhythm. Then, Phil leaves the room, closing the door with a soft _thump_ behind him. It was over as quick as that, but long after Phil had returned, retiring to bed himself Dan was still awake, the moment playing over and over in his foolish, _foolish_ head. 

In the morning, Phil found Dan sitting on the porch swing on the back deck. There was a mug of cold tea sitting on the ground and he was wearing a large knit sweater. 

“Here,” Phil says, handing Dan a fresh mug “Some more tea,” Dan takes it as Phil looks out over the garden “Ruby up?” He asks. 

Dan nods, taking a slow sip of his drink, the steam warming his face. 

“Grandma took her to the park,” Dan supplies. 

Dan pulls the blanket aside, a silent invitation and Phil joins him, sitting down on swing. The blanket is quickly flicked back into place, now resting on Phil’s lap as he also curled his legs up beside him, his warm socked feet pressed against Dan’s rather cold bare ones. 

“It’s nice out isn’t it?” Dan asks 

Phil nods and takes a sip of his tea, looking out over the garden. Despite it still being early spring the sky was a beautiful shade of gold that faded into blue which housed the remaining stars, untouched thus far by the approach of morning. The wind chimes above them tinkled softly in the gentle breeze. The sounds of early morning surrounded them. Birds chirp, frogs croak and somewhere the dog was barking. It was peaceful out here, free of worry and free of trouble. Free. But Dan wasn't looking at the garden anymore. His gaze rested elsewhere, and something arguably more stunning. He watched the way Phil's Adams apple bobbed as he drank, the way his eyelashes moved when he blinked, and his hair softly blowing with the breeze. He has small rosy patches on his cheeks from the slight nip in the air and his lips match the hue almost identically. Dan's eyes shifted down to where Phil's hand is resting on his own thigh. He studied the small wrinkles around the older man's knuckles, the tiny scar on the back of his hand, his neatly trimmed nails. He wanted so badly to trace the pattern of freckles there. Then the hand moved, incasing Dan's larger one in a warm gentle, squeeze. 

"I want to go home Phil," Dan mutters, looking up to him 

"Are you sure? You know how dangerous that is," Phil says 

"I know," Dan defends "We have to face it sooner or later though, it's sadly unavoidable Phil" 

"Okay, If that's what you want" Phil agrees 

Phil squeezes Dan's hand and Dan nods *** 

"Grandma, we're gonna be fine" Dan promises. 

He hugs his grandma tightly, taking in all of what he can of her. He takes in the warmth she exudes, the comforting smell of her baking lingering in the background of the house, and most importantly her features. He takes in her years worth of laugh lines, that wide and warm gentle smile and the wrinkles brought upon her face from years of work and wisdom. He takes it all in because of the fear and uncertanity of his promise lurking in the back of his mind. With this current threat on the loose he doesn't know if it will be fine, he's not so sure of his safety anymore. So for potentially the last time, he confines himself in the comfort and safety of his grandma. 

"Please don't be strangers" she says sadly 

"We won't, I promise," dan says, still holding onto her hand. He gives it a gentle reassuring squeeze before letting it drop. 

Not long after that they leave, piling into the car they pull out of the driveway and begin the drive home. 

Ruby falls asleep first. Her chin resting on her chest, causing Phil to have to reach back and readjust her. Phil drops off next, but just before he does he reaches his hand out and Dan takes it, eyes never leaving the road ahead. 

When they get home, Dan lifts Ruby and their bags into the air, suspended in bubbles. He walks around the car and opens Phil's door. He unbuckled his seatbelt and hooks an arm under his knees and another around his back. He uses magic to help gently lift Phil from the car without waking him. Phil's head falls onto his shoulder, warm breath again his neck, sending a cold shiver down his spine. Phil's hair tickles his skin as he walks back up to the apartment having smartly parked the car near to the building. 

Getting inside, he drops the bags on the floor and locks the door securely behind him. He follows the well-worn path to Phil's bedroom and pushes the door open with his foot. 

He goes to place Phil down but he sleepily resists. 

"Stay," he mutters 

His grip on Dan's shirt stops him from leaving keeping Dan within with inches of him. 

"Okay..." Dan says gently 

He climbs onto the bed and let's Phil pull him close then he pulls Ruby down so she rest securely between them, still dozing peacefully. Phil falls back to sleep with his head tucked under Dan's chin, and Ruby under his. Dan snakes his arm over Ruby and let's his hand come to rest on Phil's waist, the bare skin there where his shirt has ridden up is warm and comforting. A completely overwhelming surge of giddiness washes over Dan and he can't help but smile as he begins to sink into the comforting feeling. 

He finally falls asleep to the combined sounds of the two people he cares about most breathing. Deeply sleeping, sound to the world. 

With morning would come anxiety. Neither knew what the day was going to bring. They would get up like normal and go about their day, making breakfast and watching an anime they would pick. But the anxiety would hang there like a cloud full of rain. It was bound to fall eventually, but when?


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L O L this is poorly edited and kinda sucks but I needed to get something up. Sorry for the wait. Im just busy and lazy and jump from interest to interest like its nobodys business. Got the motivation to finish this in class so here we are. Enjoy.

“We should do something today, get out of the house” Dan says. 

He lay on his back the couch, Ruby asleep tucked into his side, his legs thrown over Phils lap. Phil looked up from his book, a frown on his face. 

“You know thats not a good idea…” he says 

“Come on, we can go for a walk, get some lunch, maybe even go to that pet store with the really cute rats”

Phil felt the intense urge to respond with ‘you’re a really cute rat’ but he bit his tongue and instead responded with,  
“I guess we can go, as long as we stay alert,” 

Neither of them move at all, just staring at something or other until Phil speaks up 

“Um, are you going to take your legs off of me so we can get going?”

Dan laughs and throws his head back, groaning softly 

“But I’m so comfy, can we just bring the couch with us?” “This was your idea! Now come on, while we’re still young,”  


Phil stands and stretches, and as much as Dan hated himself for being cliche, he couldn’t help but notice the soft smooth skin of Phils hips and stomach when his shirt rode up over them. 

“Oi, stop staring and get up!” Phil says

He scoops Ruby up off of Dan and walks down the hall with her, talking about what she was going to wear in a overenthusiastic pitchy voice. She brought her hands up and slapped them against Phils face in that way babies do, grabbing fistfuls of cheek and giggling. 

Meanwhile, Dans cheeks burned. He buried his face in his hands and sat up, swinging his legs down off the couch. 

Its not long before Phil comes back with Ruby dressed in a little red sweater and black leggings. They gather their things and step out into the surprisingly warm London air, Ruby sitting in her Pram, which Phils pushes along dutifully in front of them. 

“So, where are we going on this walk?” Phil asks

He bumps his shoulder against Dans, making the younger lad stumble to the side, nearly tripping over his own feet.  


“There’s a little park nearby, theres a koi pond she would probably be mesmerized by,” 

He laughs as they both look down to see Ruby looking back up at them, her mouth hung open, her eyes wide. 

When they reach the park, they begin along the path, following its curves until they reaches a small bridge. Here, Dan pulled Ruby from her pram and leaned over the water with her, his railing pressing into his stomach in a slightly uncomfortable way.  
Ruby, as expected, quickly caught sight of the bright orange and white fish swimming around below and squealed leaning down towards the water. Dan and Phil both laughed at her as Dan shifted her in his arms. 

They spend a while letting Ruby watch the fish swim around below, transfixed by the way they made the water ripple as they ate things off the surface. 

Eventually though they had to leave if they wanted to fulfill the rest of their plans for the day. They reluctantly placed Ruby back in her Pram and set off along the path once again. 

When they get to the restaurant, Phil notes its more of a cafe really. Patterned chairs were scattered about circling tables. There was a fireplace on the far wall and the atmosphere just felt homey. Once seated in a booth with Ruby securely in her high chair, Dan sighs.  


“This is nice, we haven’t gotten many calm days recently have we?”  


Phil shakes his head 

“Wonder what were gonna have to deal with to repay the universe for this one?” He answers and Dan laughs 

“Maybe a kidney” Dan says jokingly.  


“Oi, the universe isn’t aloud to fuck with your body anymore, you’ve nearly been disembowelled once already, thats enough for one lifetime” Phil says  


They both chuckle slightly as the waitress walks up, placing two menus down in front of them. She smiles politely as she adjusts the tray on her other arm so it wasn’t sitting on the sleeve of her floral top anymore.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” She asks 

“Um, yeah ill have a water please, and he’ll have,”  


Dan trails off, looking to Phil to supply his answer. “An Iced Tea would be great” He says 

The Waitress nods with a smile, then leaves, stopping at a nearby table to place a plate from her tray before an elderly woman.

Phil lifts his menu from the table and opens it, guilt washing over him. He pushes the feeling down and turns to Ruby instead. “Hi!” He says 

He wiggles a finger against her side. Her gaze snaps to his as giggles stream from her mouth. Phil leans down to pepper her face in loud kisses. Dan clears his throat loudly, making Phil look at him. He nods his head to the side where the waitress now stands, eyes on him. In fact, every eye in the place was on him. 

“Sorry” He apologizes 

“No problem,” She says with a laugh.  


She places their drinks on the table, Phils having been adorned with a little slice of lemon and a red and white striped straw. She leaves then, and Phil drops his head onto his arms, a small groan escaping his lips.

“At least you’re a good Papa, look” Dan says  


Phil looks up to find Ruby smiling and blowing bubble with her mouth, smacking her lips loudly.  


“Can I have one?” Phil asks hopefully, leaning in. 

“She’s only four months old, she’s not gonna-“  


Ruby, as if to prove him wrong, plants a big wet kiss on Phils cheek. Phil sits back, his expression smug, his arms crossed. “you spork,” Dan mutters, stealing a sip of Phils iced tea. 

He spends the rest of lunch trying to get Ruby to give him a kiss, but she out right refuses, much to Phils glee. “Ruby, kiss!” He says

He leans down, tapping his cheek and just like the last dozen times he’s asked, she gives an openmouthed kiss, gumming at his cheek. 

“You both suck” Dan says, but he’s smiling.  


When they leave, they head back towards the apartment, hoping to catch the pet store before it closes. When it become apparent that Ruby and her dirty diaper weren’t going to stand for it, they decided to go home and leave the pet store for another day. 

They spend the afternoon playing with Ruby until nap time, and then just contentedly sat in the same room, Dan doing work for his shop and Phil reading his book, the quiet sound of birds filtering in from outside the open patio door. Neither seemed concerned with what could happen or what was going to happen. They were just happy to be here, in this moment, at least for now. 

But, as tends to happen with days, the next came and Phil felt horrible. 

He felt like a cheater being around Dan. He couldn’t deny his feelings were there. He felt like he was stealing when he took Dans hand, like he was giving away a moment that belonged to someone else. When they held each other at night he felt like he had betrayed Matt. But those feelings came second to the joy those moments brought him. The smile that always lit up his face when Dan smiled at him. The comfort he felt when Dans skin was on his. The sense of forever he felt when he caught Dan singing Ruby to sleep or when the younger man walked into the kitchen in the morning wearing pyjamas, his head a nest of messy curls. 

He couldn’t get around the conflicting feelings he felt. They knew Matt was a bad person that he had tried to take away the thing that Phil felt the most pride in, the most love. In the attempt he had nearly killed Dan as well when Dan had tried to apprehend him. On the other hand Phil loves (Loved?) him and felt a certain level of loyalty and devotion to the man. Matt was his and he was Matts, but he wasn’t sure that was what he wanted anymore, no matter the circumstances. 

He sighed and turned, continuing to pace around in the chilly air. As his internal monologue of right and wrong droned on, Dan joined Phil on the balcony.  


“Hey You, everything okay?” Dan asks, bouncing Ruby gently on his hip, 

She was able to hold her head up on her own now, of course and her curiosity with the world around her had grown exponentially. Birds fascinated her, it wasn’t uncommon for Dan to walk in on Ruby alone in a room with a Raven clutched in her chubby little hands, its striking blue eyes giving it away for who it was. Sometimes Dan would shift himself and wrestles around with Phil, making the little girl squeal with laughter. Now she was watching Phil, her eyes trained on his face, her hand in her mouth, a stream of drool running down her arm.

Phil stops pacing at the question and turns to face Dan with a deep sigh. He walks over to the fence overlooking the city and leans on it, eyes trained on the bright bustle of city life. Dan frowns at him and walks over to stand next to him, gently laying a hand on the older mans shoulder. 

“It’s gonna be okay you know, we’ll do this somehow, then everything will go back to normal,” 

Phil rounds on him, making Dans hand drop from his shoulder. Phils face was face steely and serious. 

“See, Its not going to though” He says, his words harsh and loud. 

Dan startles and Ruby whimpers. Pressing his cheek against the top of the baby’s head to comfort her, his now free hand pressing into her cheek. Dan cranes his neck slightly to look at Phil, who now had his face buried in his hands.  


“Nothing will ever be the same, it’s all ruined…” He whispers 

“And that’s okay too” Dan assures “WE can do back to normal, taking care of Ruby, running the shop,”  


Phil lifts his head from his hands, eyes refusing to meet Dans. 

“That’s not supposed to be my life. I was supposed to raise her with Matt, we we’re supposed to get married one day, maybe give her a sibling, grow old together, and now its all fucked,”  


“Phil, you know I’m in this with you. Matt is a bad person, he tried to kill us” Dan says, looking down at Ruby, who had her bright eyes trained on Phil. 

“I didn’t want any of this!”  


Phil shouts it, slamming his hands down on the railing as he turns on Dan, starting a flock of pigeons off the roof, a dark cloud blotting out the sky. 

Dan stares, too startled to speak as Phil continues. 

“Non of this should have happened, Matt and I wold have been happy and so would Ruby, and it would have been that way if it wasn’t for…” 

Phil trails off, realizing what he was about to say, but too late because Dan had realized as well. He crosses his arms over his chest defensively, averting his gaze.  


“If it wasn’t for what Phil” He asks, his tone dripping with venom.  


Ruby starts to softly cry in Dans arms, and neither pay her any attention. Phil turns to walk away but Dan speaks again before he reaches the sliding doors. 

“If it wasn’t for me”  


He knows by the silence that fall after he said it, only broken by the sound of children playing brought along by the breeze. He pushes past Phil and storms down the hall, a weak call of his name trailing after him. Its not until he’s in his room that what had happened really strikes him. 

Phil, at least in that moment, saw Dan as an antagonist in his life. The person who was responsible for him losing his chance at a potential happy ending. A tear rolls down his face and he angrily swipes it away. A faintness sweeps over him and he has to sit down hard on a bench to avoid falling. He makes soft soothing noises to calm the upset baby in his arms, her cries slowly turning to whimpers, then to the deep breathing of sleep. He gently sets her in her portacrib next to his bed and then decides to take a nap himself.  


He crawls into bed fully clothed, yanking the blankets free of the bottom of the bed, sending them over his head and tucking down deep. 

Despite it being just past noon, he falls asleep rather quickly, unaware that Phil sat right outside the door, tears on his face with a heart full of regret. He hadn’t meant what he had insinuated, he adored Dan and was so thankful he had met him and to have him in his life. Frustration had won out and he had said something he instantly regretted. He knows in his heart he had hurt Dan deeply but he meant to make it right, through whatever means necessary. For now though, Dan would need some alone time, so he stood and shuffled downstairs, upset with himself and upset with Matt.


End file.
